Help picking out engagement ring (I'm new)!

[laxer_12]

Hi there,

First off I'm new to this forum so if anything is posted incorrectly my apologize. I've started picking out an engagement ring recently, time to pop the question!

Knew nothing about diamonds but have been doing a fair bit of research. I originally picked out this diamond: GIA report = 5213475676. Set in a 14k white gold band with 4 claws/prongs. It is a solitaire, round. As you can see from report it is 1ct, VS2, I, and Excellent cut. Was happy with it. Call this diamond #1

However, I just found similar ring (exact same price) at the same store, the difference is it is a 6 claw/prong setting (think "tiffany setting"). This setting is THE ONE. On top of that, I liked the diamond (in store) better, seemed nicer and seemed to sparkle more. In comparison at the time mine looked a little dull. So I exchanged them. As you can see form the report it is 1ct, VVS2, I, and Very Good cut. Call this diamond #2

However, from everything I've learned/read, by all account diamond #1 should be a nicer diamond should it not (due to the better cut and much better symmetry, it should sparkle better)? VS2-VVS2 shouldn't be noticeable but the cut quality should be. At the time I was sure diamond 2 was much nicer, but now I'm having doubts that perhaps it was just the lighting.

I'm looking for advice, after looking at GIA reports is there any reason why diamond 2 would look better? Wondering now if I need to get one more like diamond 1 (excellent cut) but in the new desired setting...

Thanks for the help (and the long read)!

 

[upgradingmama]

If you plug diamond #1 into the HCA Calculator, you get a 5.2 which is not good. What is the cert # of #2? Might explain why they look different..

 

[laxer_12]

Thanks, sorry I thought I posted diamond 2 cert#: 2214504798

 

[Snowdrop13]

What's the budget? You should be able to get that style setting from one of the online vendors.

 

[laxer_12]

Flexible, without going crazy. Looks like neither of these are good on the HCA calculator. Looking around $7k (Canadian)

 

[upgradingmama]

Yeah, #2 was even worse... I'd have one of the experts here help you with a stone...

 

[Krod]

Plenty of vendors on here can no doubt help you find better stones. Tools like the HCA are great elimination tools, but make sure you look at the idealscope or ASET image of whatever stone you are thinking about once you narrow it down. These tools are your best bet to finding a diamond which is really going to sparkle.

 

[teknikal]

Hello,

Canadian here who just bought a ring recently too.
Check out Adiamor. Incredible rings on there (they're a setting manufacturer first)
I bought a 1.16 carat excellent diamond with an halo setting (more expensive) for just over $7k.
with $7k and just a solitaire setting (cheaper) you should be able to get a pretty killer ring

 

[Gypsy]

Return it.

 

[laxer_12]

Thanks for the advice. Managed to find a slightly better cut diamond (GIA 1208644281).

 

[Krod]

still a 4.0 on HCA, you can do much better.

 

[ghostm42]

I'm not at the level of these experts here, but I've just gone through a diamond purchase and did a ton of research.

I think this diamond might be something to consider:
http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-8144692-1.00-carat-Round-diamond-I-color-VVS1-Clarity.aspx?sku=8144692&utm_source=pricescope.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pricescope.com

1ct
HCA 4.1
I
VVS1
GIA 3X
Depth: 61.9
Table: 57
Crown angle: 34.5
Pavilion angle: 40.8

Request IdealScope/ASET pictures from B2C.

Use the pricescope search feature. You can set it to show only those with Excellent HCA (<2). You can go into advanced and tweak the table and depth as well. From my quick look, this has ideal proportions.

 

[Gypsy]

Neither of them. Terrible.

Round Diamonds 101:

The entire purpose of faceting a diamond is to reflect light.
How well or how poorly a diamond does this determines how beautiful it is.
How well a diamond performs is determined by the angles and cutting. This is why we say cut is king.
No other factor: not color, not clarity has as much of an impact on the appearance of a diamond as its cut. An ideal H will out white a poorly cut F. With round diamonds even a GIA triple Excellent is not enough. And you must stick to GIA and AGS only (HPD in Europe is good as well). EGL is a bad option: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/egl-certification-are-any-of-them-ok.142863/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/egl-certification-are-any-of-them-ok.142863/[/URL]
So how to we ensure that we have the right angles and cutting to get the light performance we want?
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/diamond-cut
Well one method is to start with a GIA Ex, and then apply the HCA to it. YOU DO NOT USE HCA for AGS0 stones generally, though you can. In general, AGS0 trumps HCA though as one examines the actual stone and the other does not.
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/holloway-cut-advisor
The HCA is a rejection tool. Not a selection tool. It uses 4 data points to make a rudimentary call on how the diamond may perform.
If the diamond passes then you know that you are in the right zone in terms of angles for light performance. Under 2 is a pass. Under 2.5-2.1 is a maybe. 2.6 and over is a no. No score 2 and under is better than any other.
Is that enough? Not really.

So what you need is a way to check actual light performance of your actual stone.
That's what an idealscope image does. https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/firescope-idealscope
It shows you how and wear your diamond is reflecting light, how well it is going at it, and where you are losing light return. That is why you won't see us recommending Blue Nile, as they do not provide idealscope images for their diamonds. BGD,BE, James Allen, GOG, HPD, ERD and WF do.

The Idealscope is the 'selection tool'. Not the HCA.
So yes, with a GIA stone you need the idealscope images. Or you can buy an idealscope yourself and take it in to the jeweler you are working with to check the stones yourself. Or if you have a good return policy (full refund minimum 7 days) then you can buy the idealscope, buy the stone, and do it at home.

Now if you want to skip all that... stick to AGS0 stones and then all you have to do is pick color and clarity and you know you have a great performing diamond. Because AGS has already done the checking for you. That's why they trade at a premium. Some AGS0's are better than others though, so pay attention to any ASET or IS provided.

In general with rounds, you will want a table 60% or less. A depth between 59 and 62.4. Crown angle 33.5-35. Pavilion Angle: 40.6-40.8(there is a little give on this). And the crown and pavilion angles must be complimentary which is what the HCA checks for you.

ON COLOR:

It is important to remember is that color is graded FACE DOWN. Where there is NO light return. Not face up where there is light return and refraction. You wear diamonds set. FACE UP.

Within one color grade, even the labs can't agree on the color grades of stones and something could be a "high" H or a "low" E. So... no. Not really. Within 2 color grades it is hard. Not impossible. But very hard. And it gets harder once set. If you are talking ideal rounds, or any stone with ideal light return and no sharp corners it gets harder still because the ideal light return masks body color.

Generally we say to be conservative stay above H in a round. But MANY people have happily bought white I or even J diamonds when trying to eek out a little more size.

This is how I think of it.

Ever gotten one of those HUGE paint fan decks? Where there are literally 100s of colors of whites? And when they are RIGHT next to each other you can TOTALLY tell that one is bluer/colder and one is a bit warmer and which one is one is TOTALLY warmer. One there's one that's slightly greener. One that's slightly pinker? But really. They are all white?

Then you pick one after agonizing over this white or that white and when it's on the walls and people are like: Oh. You painted again. And it's STILL white. Great.

And you're all... BUT it's BLUE white. Or it's a WARM white now. It used to be ____ white. It's TOTALLY different.

It's like that. You are talking about shades of white. D is colder... J is warmer. But it's all white.

YES. If you have an accurately graded F and an H THAT HAVE THE SAME PERFORMANCE you are going to be able to tell them apart when you compare them. Just like you would be able to tell if you painted your walls a warm white, but painted the crown molding a cold/straight white. But both are STILL white.


I want you notice all the qualifiers thought. I'm talking about stones with the SAME performance. An ideal H will out white an F that has compromised light performance from a poor cut.

NOTHING impacts the appearance of a diamond as much as cut. CUT is king.

You want the shinest whitest and brightest diamond out there: Cut is King. No other factor, not color or clarity or anything else impacts how white bright an shiny a stone is.

ON CLARITY:
http://www.goodoldgold.com/4Cs/Clarity/SI/ and http://www.goodoldgold.com/4Cs/Clarity/VS/ Generally we say that eyeclean SI1 and VS2 are as high as you need to go with round brilliants, have your vendor check the diamond for this. VS1 will always be eyeclean, but they do cost more and an eyeclean SI1 and a VS1 will look the same to the unaided eye.

 

[ghostm42]

I'm not at the level of these experts here, but I've just gone through a diamond purchase and did a ton of research.

I think this diamond might be something to consider:
http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-8144692-1.00-carat-Round-diamond-I-color-VVS1-Clarity.aspx?sku=8144692&utm_source=pricescope.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pricescope.com

1ct
HCA 4.1
I
VVS1
GIA 3X
Depth: 61.9
Table: 57
Crown angle: 34.5
Pavilion angle: 40.8

Request IdealScope/ASET pictures from B2C.

Use the pricescope search feature. You can set it to show only those with Excellent HCA (<2). You can go into advanced and tweak the table and depth as well. From my quick look, this has ideal proportions.

Why can't I edit my post? I made a major typo there. The diamond I referenced above's HCA score is 1.4 (Ex,Ex,Ex,Vg), not 4.1. It also has an Enchanted Diamond cut score of 100:

GIA: 6211823464
"Cut score for this round 1.0 carat diamond is 100.0.
This diamond has an essentially perfect cut."

The proportions are within WhiteFlash's A Cut Above range, which are super ideal cuts. And the price is just about 7000CAD (~5500USD). Pairing it with a tiffany-type solitaire setting should only be a few hundred dollars.

I'd definitely see if B2C can provide you with IdealScope/ASET images.

 

[Gypsy]

OK. That's good. Does it have an IS image? Request one. And put the stone on hold. And then link us.